The invention relates to a dart game including a dart target disk attached in an opening in the front wall of a housing. The movable segments of the dart target disk are assigned different numbers of points and are provided with holes to accept the thrown darts. When a dart strikes a segment, a group of switches disposed between an elastic support and a carrier plate are actuated through this support so as to permit, via electrical and/or electronic components, automatic recording, counting and display of the points earned.
Such dart games are known in the most varied embodiments. For example, DE-OS 3,341,303 discloses a dart game which includes a dart target disk fastened above a group of switches arranged in the form of a switch matrix, with the segments of the target disk actuating the switch matrix if it is struck by a dart thrown by a player. The dart game includes a first microcomputer for scanning the switch matrix in order to determine where the dart has struck the target disk and a second microcomputer which performs a plurality of tasks, such as calculation of the number of points for each player and actuation of the display units to inform the players about game conditions and the number of points won per game for each player. The dart target disk of this device is fastened to an opening in the front wall of the housing by means of screws and a holding ring. The switch matrix disposed in the interior of the housing behind the dart target disk is embedded between a rubber support and a carrier plate. Along its periphery, it is held at the front plate by means of threaded screws with associated nuts and by spacers surrounding the threaded screws. To remove broken dart tips stuck in the dart target disk, it is necessary to initially move the device away from the wall against which it usually stands to gain access to the rear of the device for opening the rear wall. After opening the rear wall of the device, all components lying in front of the switch matrix--seen from the rear of the device--must be removed from the interior of the housing. Then all nuts must be removed from the screws supporting the switch matrix and only then can the unit composed of rubber support, switch matrix and carrier plate be pulled away from the holding screws to provide free access to the rear of the individual segments of the dart target disk, thus making it possible to push the broken dart tips out of the dart target disk. After removal of the broken dart tips from the dart target disk, the game device must be re-assembled in the reverse sequence. Such a procedure for removing broken dart tips is thus inevitably extremely complicated and time consuming which consequently lead to disproportionately long interruptions of play.
Additionally, it is customary in prior art dart games to illuminate the dart target disk by providing a lamp fastened to a projecting holding arm or the like at the front wall of the device. However, this type of illumination of the dart target disk is disadvantageous insofar as a beam of light impinging obliquely on the dart target disk will throw a heavy shadow within the dart target disk and thus will not illuminate the dart target disk uniformly. On the other hand, there exists the danger of damage to the holding arm and the lamp during work on the device, particularly during the removal of broken dart tips from the dart target disk.
Additionally, DE A-3,038,029 discloses a target disk holder for firing ranges in which the target disk holder is disposed on a movable carriage that can be pulled toward the marksman by means of a cable pulley. The target disk holder is composed of a spring-tensioned double frame which can be folded open and into which the target disk can be clamped.
Moreover, GB-A-587,980 discloses a dart game whose dart target disk is accommodated in a curved frame. The frame is composed of a rear wall, a conical side wall and a cylindrical wall into which is inserted a light transmitting component to accommodate the darts. A light source is disposed in the area between the rear wall of the frame and the light transmitting component.